Device for stripping garnetting machines



June 29, 1954 BARNET 2,682,086

DEVICE FOR STRIPPING GARNETTING MACHINES Filed June 23, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l f7? vent-or: Henry B. Garne y W IUIJIIIII /7/s flt't'or'neys June 29, 1954 H. B. BARNET 2,682,086

DEVICE FOR STRIPPING GARNETTING MACHINES Fild June 23, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f)? Mentor" Henry 3- flar'ne ///s fitter-Ways -must be stripped from time to time. .to strip these last i mentioned surfaces it -is :still Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED DEVICE FOR :STRIPPING GARNETTING MACHINES Henry- 'B.--Barnet, -Albany, N. Y.

ApplicationJune'ZS, 1949, Serial No..100,942

' 7 Claims. -1

My invention relates to .garnetting machines and particularly to improvements in the device disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 767,151, now abandoned.

.Garnetting machines which "are used in the preparationof wool and other-fibers are. provided with various rolls orcylinders referred to in the .artas main cylinders, dofiers, workers, strippers, fancies, fancystrippers, andangle strippers, all 'of Y Which are provided with. sharp, .rigid teeth .on

the surface thereof formed in a wire which is helically wound around the cylinder. The teeth are spaced .both .circumferentially an'd longitudinally of the surfaces of .the.rolls and, in operation, the spaces between .and beneath the,

.teeth'become so filled withoily dirt, 'fibers, and

other foreign matters encountered. in .the :treat- 'mentofthe wool and otherfiberslthattheymust be frequently cleaned by stripping .the accumulated dirt, etc, from-the surfaces thereof.

Prior .to the invention disclosed inrmy said application it was necessary to strip a11.,of-the.ma- .terialworkingsurfacesof a garnetting machine by hand while these surfaces werein. motion; .the .usualmethod being to holda piece of .cardclothing, called a handcard, againstltheimoving surfaces to comb or -pull ,theldirtand fibersitherefrom. The cylinderand: doff er were cleanedlfrom underneath and the cleaning was. a particularly hazardous task due to the sharp, rigid teeth .on

the surfaces thereof whichare very much different fromthe flexible wires onthesurfaces of a card. .Men were frequently caught I by these teeth, drawn into the machine, :andkilled or very seriously mangled thereby.

-While the main cylinder-and doiferrare per- :haps the mosthazardous and .difiicult to :strip, :there are other *material working surfaces such as the workers, the strippers, the fancies, athe fancyestrippers, and-the angle strippers which ,In order necessary for the operator -to .standon the -machine and use a-hand-held stripping unit which is also-a vvery hazardous operation.

The principal-object of my invention, therefore, is to provide-a-means-for strippingallofthe working surfaces of vthe,garnetting machine, .in-

.cluding the :main cylinder and -doifer, which can be employed'without dangerto the operator because it eliminates the ,necessity .of .the ropaerator crawling underneath the .machine -.or standing thereon.

:In my 1 copending application. aforesaid, .I have wdiSGlOSGdi-fl strip-ping mechanism-whichis adaptanother.

'ed to strip only the main' cylinder and doffer.

This device "includes 'a "traversing mechanism having a level"windingcarriage screw therein which moves the stripping "unit back-and forth transversely "of the machine. The traversing lmechanism is mounted on trunnions'at opposite sides of the machine"aboutthe'axis of whichsaid .mechanismmay be iswung to bring the stripping unit into operativerelation *either with the surface of themainJcylinder'or'the surface'of the doifer.

The axis of the carriage 'screw'however, is parallel to and .offset from the axis of the trunnions'so that, when *the device is swung .on the trunnions, the axis .of the carriage screw may besaidito "describe a -cylindrical "surf ace coaxial withthe 'trunn'ions. illustrated in said application,the carriage screw has a pulley thereon whichis'turned'by means of a belt co- .operating with adriving ,pulley. The result of this arrangement is that, when the stripping mechanism is swung about theaxis of the trunnions from ,a position in operative relation to thesur'face' of ithe'main cylinder toa'position in operative relation to the surface of the doffer, .or vice versa, the distance'betweenthe driving anddrivenpulleysiis changed, and adjustments must be made so that'thelength ofthe driving belt, whichis, of .course, fixed," is the same in each position. Another object of my presentinven- .a compressed air .nozzle, and a brush, which may be used .not .onlyifor stripping the main cylinder. andthedoiferibut also for stripping the fancy, the .'fancy.stripper, and all of the workers andstrippers. Another object is to provide an .improved stripping unit .in which the compressed air .nozzlel'is disposed in. a novel andbetiter way with respect to-the vacuumnozzle.

Since it is difficult so'to position the traversing mechanism that the stripping unit may be brought into operative relation with respect to .all .of the workersandstrippersin their normal positions,.anotherobiect' istoprovide a means in which a worker orstripper'which .has been removed .from its normal position may be sup- ,ported within operative range of the stripping .unit so that lit .maylbes'tripped thereby. A fur- .thenobjectis.toprovide ameans for automatical- 3 1y stopping and holding the stripping unit after it has been swung into operative relation with respect to the various surfaces to be stripped.

I attain these objects by means of the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a garnetting machine showing, in solid outlines, my stripping mechanism in operative relation to the doffer, and, in dotted outlines, in operative position with relation to the angle stripper, a worker or stripper supported in a position out of its normal position, the fancy, and the fancy stripper;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation View of a portion of Fig 1;

Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. l in the plane 3-3;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva tion view of a stripping unit, partially in section and with prti0ns broken away, which is adapted to strip the main cylinder and doffer;

Fig. 5 is a right hand side elevation view of the device as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a left hand side elevation view of the device as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmenary side elevation view of a nozzle, such as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, showing attached thereto an auxiliary nozzle adapted for stripping the fancy, the fancy stripper, the angle stripper, and several of the workers and other strippers; and

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawing and first to Figs. 1 and 2, i is the main cylinder of the garnetting machine, 2 is the doifer, 3 is the angle stripper, and 4, 5, G and I are shafts on which other Workers and strippers are mounted; said workers and strippers being driven by the spur gears 8, 3, ii: and l i, respectively, in mesh with the large gear [2 on the shaft 13 of the main cylinder. it is a fancy and I5 is a stripper for the fancy.

Mounted on brackets, represented generally by the numeral it which are supported on opposite sides of the frame of the machine (not shown), are bearings I"! in which the trunnions [8 of a traversing mechanism are rotatably mounted. These bearings may be raised and lowered by loosening cap screws l9 and tightening or loosening adjusting screws 20. Insofar as the traversing mechanism is concerned, it may be substantially identical with the traversing mechanisms employed in stripping carding engines. That is to say, a yoke 2| in which the trunnions l8 are mounted carries a transversely-extending pair of parallel-disposed tubes 22 and 23 in one of which, 22, is mounted a level winding carriage screw 24, a fragmentary portion of which is shown in Fig. 2. slidably mounted on the tube 22 in which the carriage screw is mounted is a sleeve 25 having a pin 26 therein which passes through the slot 2'5 and engages the carriage screw so that the sleeve 25 and the various parts carried thereby are moved back and forth transversely of the machine when the stripping mechanism is inoperation.

Mounted on a shaft 28 having a bearing in or coaxial with one of the trunnions i8 is a pulley 29 driven by the belt 30 from a motor or other suitable source of power (not shown). Secured to the shaft 28 is a gear 3| which meshes with the gear 32 on the shaft 33 of the carriage screw 24. Thus, when the pulley 28 is driven, gear 3! will drive gear 32 and effect the rotation of l 4 in planetary relation with respect to the gear 3 i it will be apparent that the traversing mechanism may be swung in any direction about the axis of the trunnions without interfering with the cooperation of the gears 3| and 32.

Carried by the traversing mechanism and moved back and forth transversely of the machine by means of the carriage screw is the stripping mechanism comprising the vacuum tube 34 which is slidably and rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 35 and 38. The vacuum tube also passes through a split sleeve 36 in which it can be clamped by means (not shown) but which may be similar to the means shown in my copending application aforesaid, or, for example, by a set screw which could be threaded into either of the blocks 35 and 35 and bear on said tube. The vacuum tube 34 is shown as attached to a flexible hose 3?.

Entering the vacuum tube 34 at 38 is a compressed air pipe 39 which is shown as connected to a flexible hose 40 adapted to communicate with a source of compressed air. The pipe 39 extends downwardly through the inside of vacuum tube 34, emerges therefrom at 4| (see Fig. l and Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7), and terminates at 42 a short distance below its point of emergence from the tube 34. Communicating with the lower end 42 of the compressed air pipe 39 is a nozzle 43 which may be merely inserted in the end of the pipe 39 as shown in Fig. 1 or fitted over the end of said pipe, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The nozzle is held in position by means of a strap 44 secured to the nozzle of the vacuum tube. At its lower end, the compressed air nozzle is preferably slightly curved, as shown at 45 in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the air discharged therefrom is directed toward or across the open inlet end 45 of the vacuum tube.

On the side opposite the air nozzle 43, there is secured to the nozzle 4'! of the vacuum tube a wire brush 48 the bristles of which are set in an elongated handle-like element it which extends through the leg 50 of a bracket iii in slidable relation thereto. There is a slot 52 in the element 49 through which a screw 53 extends to hold the brush in place and still allow it to slide axially. The upper end of the element 49 is recessed and there is disposed therein a helical spring 54 which is compressed between the other outstanding leg 55 of the bracket 5! and the bottom 56 of the recess. Thus, the spring 54 is biased to force the wire brush downwardly against the surface to be stripped which, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and i, is the doffer.

The nozzle and brush arrangement, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and in solid outlines in Fig. 1, is adapted to strip either the doiier or the main cylinder.

In order to strip some of the workers and strippers without removing them from the gar netting machine, and also the fancy, the fancy stripper, and the angle stripper I have provided auxiliary nozzles, or an auxiliary nozzle assembly, as best shown in Fig. 7. As there illustrated, 51 is the vacuum nozzle and 58 is the compressed air nozzle which may be welded or otherwise secured together as shown at 59 to form a unitary assembly. These auxiliary nozzles are curved as shown so that, whey they are attached to the straight nozzle on the vacuum tube 34 and to the end of the compressed air pipe 39, by merely slipping them thereover and securing them by means of the screw 60 which passes through a threaded opening 6i (see Fig. 4) in the straight nozzle-0n thevacuum tube,--theyare disposed in proper stripping position with "respect "-to *the "fancy, the fancy stripper, the angle stripper 3, and "some of the workers andstrippers,-as-= shown ibrush 88 isinot removed-but another wire brush .6i is 'secured'to'the curved nozzleassembly by .means of .a set screw 62 extending through-a strap ds secured :to the top of "thevacuurn-nozzle.

"In order -to strip the "workers and strippers Whichpannot be reached'by the inechanism as described above, I have provided-bearings 6? *on opposite. sides or" the machine which are attached to the brackets l6 by means of the cap screws 68 and as (see-Fig. 3). -Workers which are inaccessible for stripping by -.the mechanism ide- :-scribed above may be removed :from thermachine :and supported in the bearings ".61 where :they will lie-within operative range. ,ofsaid mechanism. TInrorder-tohold the workersland strippers in the bearings 51 during the stripping operation, I ishave, provided latches T0 which-are normally-projected over the bearings of the worker by means of helical compression springs I I. The stripping unitinoperative relation to a stripper 3' in the brackets-iii is --shown-in dotted outlines at T2 in Fig. 1. i-he-workers or strippers, wherpsup- ;;ported in the bearings #67 may be rotated'idur- *ing the stripping operation bymeans oi aniair or electric drill held in cooperative relation with one end of the shaft associated therewith.

Since the stripping unit must be moved to various positions in operative relation to the various surfaces to be stripped, it is very convenient to have some means whereby the stripping unit, when so moved, may be automatically locked in proper position.

To accomplish this end, I have provided a circular metal disk 73 (see Figs. 1 and 2) which is rigidly affixed to one of the brackets IS. A second disk M coaxial with and in running contact with the disk 13. is afiixed to one of the trunnions i8. Secured to the disk 13 in any convenient position is a latch button 15 attached to a pin 76 which can be pulled outwardly against the compression of a spring (not shown) which normally holds the inner end of the pin in openings in the disk 54. These openings, several of which are shown in dotted outline at 11 in Fig. 1, are so positioned that the inner end of the locking pin 16 will be engaged therein when the stripping unit is in proper operative relation to each of the various surfaces to be stripped.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the field of operation of the device disclosed in my copending application aforesaid has been substantially extended so that practically all of the surfaces which are required to be stripped from time to time can be stripped with the one apparatus without danger to the operator. It is only necessary to slide the vacuum tube up or down, rotate it 180 and swing the traversing mechanism which carries it through the proper angle in order quickly to position the stripping unit in correct operative position; the sliding of the vacuum tube and its rotation being facilitated by running the compressed air pipe inside instead of outside the vacuum tube in the zones where the vacuum tube runs through the blocks 35 and 36. The swing of the traversing mechanism on the trunnions does not interfere with the driving mechanism for the carriage screw, and it is only necessary to pull out the latch button 75 and release it when the stripping unit is approximately in the 6 proper-position whereupon-a slight movement in either directionwill lock" the stripping unit in 'the proper position 'as the pin liienters one of the holes in disk fl.

In operaticn,'-the wire brushes -and 'the air discharged under pressure from the air nozzles loosen the dirt and-fibers 'withwhich the working surfaces of the machine become clogged, and the loosened materi'a1 is carried away *through =the vacuum tube. *Because the wire brush, -as-shown =in' Figsmi, 5'and 6, which is used-with the nozzles there shown for stripping the main" cylinder and *doffer, "is -slidably i mounted -on the nozzle and urged into contact with the surf ace to be stripped bythe'spring 5'4, wear on thebristles-isautomatically taken up. Furthermore, by directing the discharge-of compressed air 'towards "or across the inlet to the-vacuum-tubethe efficiency Ofth "device'is substantially increased.

What I claim is:

1. In' a "device-adapted for stripping the cylinder-"and dofier 'of a garnettingmachine" the zoombination "with stripping "means, of traversing "mechanism on which said stripping means "is mountedffor';movingsaidmeans back and forth transversely'of. saidmachine;trunnions on which 'saidtraversing mechanism is mounted adapting said stripping means'to'be swung about the axis -of saidtrunnions between aposition in operative relation tosai'd cylinder anda position'in operative relation to said doifer, and driving means for said traversing mechanism including a rotatable driving element coaxial with said trunnions; whereby, said traversing mechanism may be swung about the axes of said trunnions Without affecting said driving means.

2. In a device adapted for stripping the cylinder and doffer of a garnetting machine the combination with stripping means, of traversing mechanism, including a level winding carriage screw, on which said stripping means is mounted for moving said means back and forth transversely of said machine, trunnions on which said traversing mechanism is mounted adapting said stripping means to be swung about the axis of saidtrunnions between a position in operative relation to said cylinder and a position in operative relation to said dofier, and driving means for said traversing mechanism including a rotatable driving element coaxial with said trunnions and a rotatable driven element coaxial with said screw and disposed in planetary relation to said driving element; whereby, said traversing mechanism may be swung about the axis of said trunnions without affecting said driving means.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 together with means for automatically locking said stripping means When swung into operative relation to said cylinder and said doffer, respectively.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2 together with means for automatically locking said stripping means when swung into operative reiation to said cylinder and said doffer, respectively.

5. In a device for stripping the main cylinder and dofier of a garnetting machine, the combination with a stripping unit comprising a vacuum nozzle, a compressed air nozzle, and a brush; of a mounting for said unit; a traversing mechanism cooperating with said mounting for moving said unit back and forth transversely of said machine; a bearing having an axis extending transversely of said machine about which said unit is rotatable between a position in which said vacuum nozzle is directed towards said main cylinder and a position in which said vacuum nozzle is directed towards said dofier, and a latch for automatically locking said vacuum nozzle in said positions when so moved.

6. A device for stripping the workers of a garnetting machine; said device comprising a stripping unit; a traversing mechanism mounted on said machine above and in spaced relation to said workers when said workers are in their normal operating position; a mounting for said stripping unit cooperating with said traversing mechanism for moving said unit back and forth transversely of said machine; a pair of brackets on said machine provided with bearings disposed above and in spaced relation to the normal operating position of said workers and adapted rotatably to support a worker in operative stripping range of said stripping unit when said worker is removed from its normal position and placed in said bearings.

7. A garnett stripping device comprising a vacuum tube having a first, substantially straight nozzle for the intake of air and dirt, and a compressed air nozzle secured thereto and disposed to discharge a jet of compressed air against the.

surface to be stripped to loosen the dirt thereon to be removed by said vacuum nozzle; a traversing mechanism for moving said device back and forth transversely of said garnett; a curved extension of said first vacuum nozzle having a curved.

extension of said compressed air nozzle secured thereto and disposed to discharge a jet of compressed air against a surface to be stripped; said curved extensions of said straight nozzles being telescopically interfitted with said straight nozzles; and means detachably securing said extensions thereto; whereby those surfaces of said garnett which cannot be stripped with said straight nozzles may first be stripped with said curved extension nozzles, and said extension nozzles thereafter removed for stripping the remaining surfaces with said straight nozzles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 789,768 Sullivan May 16, 1905 1,293,798 Kestner Feb. 11, 1919 1,311,293 Schaefer July 29, 1919 1,457,467 Smith June 5, 1923 1,913,016 Walsh June 6, 1933 2,651,080 Wied Sept. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,180 Great Britain of 1901 15,415 Great Britain of 1903 20,866 Great Britain of 1909 631,202 Germany June 15, 1936 

